As the capital of the USA, Washington has many political, historical and cultural attractions.
Washington is the seat of all three branches of the US federal government. It is also the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, and many other national and international institutions. The city has numerous national historic landmarks, monuments, and museums, making it a popular tourist destination.
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Washington attractions
The White House
The official residence and workplace of the current President of the United States. It is named after the white color of its façade.
The building is smaller in person than one might imagine. It is surrounded by an iron fence, with police everywhere and snipers on the building. After all, the President of the USA lives there. 🙂
Washington Monument
One of the most famous landmarks on the National Mall, this obelisk.
The 169-meter-tall obelisk, built between 1848 and 1884 from marble, granite and sandstone, is a memorial to the first American president, George Washington. It is the world’s tallest stone structure and obelisk.
The top functions as an observation deck, offering magnificent views of the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol, and the entire city. All information can be found here.
Lincoln Memorial
The building that closes off the western end of the National Mall was built in memory of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
The building has a Pantheon-like form, surrounded by 36 giant Doric columns representing the Union’s 36 states at the time. Many important speeches have been given at the memorial, including Martin Luther King’s famous 1963 speech.
In the center of the interior space is a huge statue of Lincoln, seated, created by sculptor Daniel Chester French. The statue is about 5.8 meters high. The memorial’s walls feature the text of two of Lincoln’s famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address.
In front of the memorial is the rectangular Reflecting Pool (Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool), which may be familiar from the movie Forrest Gump.
Admission is free!
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
In front of the Lincoln Memorial, the memorial to the soldiers who died in the Vietnam and Korean wars.
On the right side (facing the memorial) the names of all 58,209 soldiers who died in the Vietnam War are engraved on the black granite wall. Next to it, on a separate wall, are the names of the women who died.
On the left side is a memorial park with lifelike statues commemorating the soldiers who died in the Korean War in the 1950s.
World War II Memorial
Located at the eastern end of the pool, in two semicircles. One part honors the Atlantic Ocean war, the other the Pacific war.
The columns list the names of the states that participated in the war.
Within the semicircle is the Reflection Pool, with a beautiful fountain.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial, dedicated in 1997, is an area along the Tidal Basin shores with gardens, statues, and waterfalls.
It presents Roosevelt’s administration and 12 years of American history from 1933 to 1945 in four open-air „rooms”.
The statue of the president and his beloved Scottish terrier Fala, by sculptor Neil Estern, is in the third room, which covers the World War II period.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
A memorial to the third President of the USA, Thomas Jefferson, who was also the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
The white marble, domed building was designed by John Russell Pope and completed in 1943, on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth. In the central space stands a huge, 5.8-meter-high bronze statue depicting Jefferson.
The interior walls feature famous quotes from Jefferson, including excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and other writings proclaiming the principles of human freedom and equality.
Admission is free!
The Capitol
The Capitol borders the National Mall to the east. It is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government.
The domed, 88-meter-high building from the late 18th century is a symbol of the American people and American legislation, and also houses a significant American art exhibition.
Its visitor center is open all week except Sundays and can be visited individually or as part of a guided tour.
All information can be found here!
Washington National Cathedral
The Gothic cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is the 2nd largest cathedral in the country and the 6th largest in the world.
Three presidents are buried in the cathedral: Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. Several other presidents have also been memorialized here.
An interesting fact is that the „historical greatness” of the country and its notable historical turning points are not depicted in frescoes and paintings, but in rose windows and stained glass, which mostly relate to military events, such as the Normandy landings.
The most spectacular exhibit for visitors is a glass-enclosed lunar rock sample brought back by astronauts during a moon landing.
Free admission on Sundays!
Access: Red line metro to the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stop, then bus 96 to the Woodley Rd + Wisconsin Ave stop.
All information can be found here!
Arlington National Cemetery
Established on the Arlington hill, the confiscated estate of the Confederate Army’s commanding general, Lee, the Arlington National Cemetery is the best known military cemetery in the United States. Two former presidents and many other famous Americans are buried here.
The countless rows of gleaming, identical white gravestones are something I think everyone has seen in pictures.
One of the biggest attractions is John F. Kennedy’s eternal flame. A gas pipeline feeds it, so it never goes out. The flame stands on a granite circle about 1.5 meters in diameter.
Another special place in the cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded 24/7. The remains of one soldier from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War were laid to rest here (in the meantime, the body of the Vietnam War soldier was „taken” by the family, leaving the tomb empty).
The changing of the guard is a very impressive sight that visitors can witness.
Access: Blue line metro to the Arlington Cemetery stop.
The Pentagon
The headquarters of the US Department of Defense, named after its regular pentagonal shape.
It has five above-ground floors and two underground levels. Its five circular corridors total 28.2 kilometers in length.
The building was damaged in the 2001 terrorist attack, and 125 people lost their lives (184 including the plane). In memory of this, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was created next to the building. Each victim is symbolized by a bench with their name on it. The benches are shaped like airplane wings.
